Mountain lion kills deer in subdivision near Granby

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GRANBY - A deer that was killed near a house in Innsbruck subdivision late last week has been confirmed as a mountain lion kill by Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials.

The deer was reported as a small buck, the carcass of which was removed by wildlife officials.

This is pretty typical for this time of year, said Scott Murdoch, district wildlife manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

The kill took place approximately 40 feet from Tim Schowalter's home on Forest Drive. Schowalter did not report hearing anything the night that he thinks the kill took place.

Schowalter and his wife recently returned from a trip to Africa where they saw a cheetah kill that he described as looking similar to the mountain lion kill.

While seeing a mountain lion kill is not out of the ordinary, Murdoch stressed the importance of knowing the basic principles of living in cat country, such as refraining from feeding deer because the more deer that are around, the more lions they will attract.

Murdoch also mentioned that people should keep their dogs closely monitored as well as children under close supervision because mountain lions tend to attack the weak and vulnerable.

If a person encounters a mountain lion, the best route of action is to appear as big as you can by holding your jacket up or by putting your hiking partner on your shoulders. You want to look as big and formidable as possible and make a lot of noise while slowly backing away from the lion. The one thing you do not want to do is run away from a mountain lion because it will trigger its predator and prey instinct and they are more likely to attack.

People who see or who have concerns about mountain lions can call the Colorado Parks and Wildlife office, (970) 724-3000.